The Middle Is Where It Gets Interesting
The Middle Is Where It Gets Interesting
Harry Cline | [email protected]
The New Caregiver’s Comprehensive Resource: Advice, Tips, and Solutions from Around the Web
Here’s the thing about a mid-life crisis no one warns you about: it’s quiet. Not
dramatic, like the movies with red sports cars and impulsive decisions. It sneaks in during a
Tuesday morning meeting, when you suddenly wonder if this is it. Or when the kids
are grown, and the house is quiet, and you’re alone with your thoughts and a to-do list that
used to mean something. But buried inside that fog is something more honest—a pause, a
recalibration. And if you let it, this strange moment of doubt and discomfort can become
the birthplace of a better chapter.
Reclaim Curiosity Instead of Control
You might feel an urge to fix everything fast. To tidy up your life like a junk drawer. But
Instead of reaching for control, try reaching for curiosity. Ask yourself what used to light
You were up before responsibilities settled in like furniture. When you chase curiosity, even in
tiny ways—a new recipe, a new route to work, a new author—you’re inviting wonder back
in. That matters more than having all the answers.
Return to School with Purpose
There’s something deeply empowering about deciding to go back to school—not because
You have to, but because you want to change the trajectory of your life. For many adults
juggling real-world responsibilities, online degree programs make it easy to work full-time
and keep up with your studies without flipping your life upside down. If you’re looking to
pivot or level up professionally, earning a business degree for career advancement can
open doors in accounting, communications, management, or entrepreneurship. It’s not
about starting over—it’s about building on what you already know and choosing the
version of yourself you’re ready to become next.
Build Micro-Moments of Joy
You don’t need a sabbatical in Bali to feel alive again. That five-minute walk where the air
smells like spring, that coffee in a real mug instead of a to-go cup, that text you send just to
say “thinking of you”—those are little revolutions. They won’t fix everything, but they
create space for joy to return without needing permission. When everything feels too big,
start small. One bright moment, then another.
Let Friendships Get Weird Again
Mid-life friendships often get tidy and distant. Everyone’s busy, everyone’s tired, and
everyone pretends they’re fine. But this is exactly when you need real conversation—the
kind that might crack you open a little. Call the friend you haven’t talked to in a year. Send
the awkward “miss you” text. Make space for laughter that’s unfiltered and stories that
ramble. Let your friendships breathe again, even if they look different now.
Make Room for the Grief You Didn’t Name
Part of what feels so heavy in this stretch of life is the unnamed grief. Not just about people
lost, but versions of yourself that never got to exist. The dreams you quietly let go of. The
moments you didn’t know were the last ones. You don’t need to solve that grief—but
acknowledging it is a strange kind of relief. It doesn’t make you weak; it makes you honest.
Let Boredom Be a Clue, Not a Problem
There’s a temptation to treat boredom like a fire that needs to be put out immediately. But
what if boredom is a breadcrumb? Instead of distracting yourself from it, listen to it. What
is it trying to point you toward? It might be asking you to create, to move, to rest, or to
change. Don’t drown it out with noise. Let it guide you somewhere unexpected.
Fall in Love with People Who Are Living Differently
Sometimes the best thing you can do is zoom out. Go find people who are living lives you
didn’t think were possible at this age. The 63-year-old ceramicist who just opened her first
studio. The guy who left finance and now runs a food truck. The woman who learned how
to DJ at 50. Their stories aren’t blueprints—they’re permission slips. You don’t have to
want their life, but you need to be reminded that yours can be rewritten.
Create Something You Don’t Need to Monetize
It’s easy to fall into the trap of productivity culture, even in your hobbies. You start painting
and think, “Should I open an Etsy?” You write a poem and wonder if it’s publishable. But
some things are meant to be yours and yours alone. Make a thing and don’t show anyone.
Dance in your kitchen like you’re 14. Create for no reason except that it makes your soul
hum. That’s where you’ll remember who you are.
The crisis part of a mid-life crisis isn’t always about disaster—it’s about a transition you
didn’t know you were starting. But it’s not the end of your story. Not even close. There’s joy
left to chase, there are people you haven’t met yet who will matter, and there are versions
of yourself you haven’t even met. So if you’re in the thick of it, I hope you’ll treat yourself
with the same softness you’d offer someone you love. You’re not broken. You’re just
becoming.
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